Mechanism for measuring and indicating velocity.



PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

J. B. -BOYD. MEGHANISIQIIFOR MEASURING AND INDIOATING VELOCITY.

APPLICATION FILED JULYB. 1907.

James E. Boyd, INVENTOR.

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WITNESSES A TTORN Y.

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JAMES E. BOYD, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

MECHANISM FOR MEASURING AND INDICATING- VELOCITY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed July 8. 1907- Serial No. 382,664.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that JAMEs E. BOYD, a citizen of the United States, residin at Columbus, in the county of Franklinand State of Ohio, has invented certain new and useful Imrovements in Mechanism for Measuring and ndicating Velocity, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mechanism for measuring and indicating velocity, and is especially adapted for use in the lecture room, where it is desired to indicate velocity in such manner that it may be observed from any point of the room by the members of a class, or on the lecture platform where an audience may obtain from their seating position a visual impression of the velocity attained by a falling body.

My improvements are especially adapted for use with what is commonly known as the Atwood machine, although it is by no means confined to that familiar construction.

It consists essentially in the use of magnetic devices for displacing a spring clasp member at known intervals of time, which clasp member simultaneously with its release attaches itself to a string moved downwardly bythe falling weight. These clasp members bein released at known intervals attach themselves to the moving string and the increasing interval between said clasp members thus ositioned upon the string indicates instant y and effectively the increasin velocity of the falling body.

i am aware that devices for making a mark on the surface of a moving band at known intervals have been in use, but such band must then be closely inspected to determine the increasing distance passed through by the band for the same intervals of time, and the marks made thereon must be erased in some manner before the band is prepared for further use; such devices are not therefore of benefit and practical use in a class room or on a lecture platform, for the reason that individual inspection of the belt or band or string requires that the same be taken out of its position on the machine and passed through the audience or the class, and the impression produced thereby is not instantaneous, nor is it comparative or relative, as it is in my device.

Referring to the-drawings, Figure 1 indicates a side view in elevatlon of my device; Fig. 2 indicates a side view on a magnified scale of the clasp member releasing mechanism; Fig. 3 indicates a front elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a top view of a clasp member; Fig. 5 shows the clasp member which has been released from the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 and has attached itself to the string; Fig. 6 is a detail of the slidable member for holding in position the clasp members before the same are released for engaging the string.

In the drawings, 1 indicates an upright post having thereon the shelf 2, upon which is su ported in brackets 3 on the axle 4 the whee or pulley member 5; around this pulley is secured the string 6 having at one end thereof the weight 7 and at the other end thereof the weight 8, the weight 7 as shown in the drawings being the heavier, inasmuch as it is intended that the string shall move downwardly on the side to which said weight 7 is attached. The pulley 5 is mounted on the axle or shaft 4 so as to turn withvery little friction thereon. Conveniently positioned upon the post 1 is a device for checking the speed of the string 6 or completely stopping the same, said device being shown conventionally at 9 and 10; inasmuch as any preferable means of stopping the string may be used, I deem it necessary to show the means I have adopted only in an. outline manner for the purpose of this specification, and shall not, therefore, describe the same any further at this time.

Conveniently mounted on one of the faces of the post 1 is a shelf 11, having secured thereon the curved bracket 12, held in place by means of the bolt 13 passing therethrough and having the wing nut 14 upon its lower end; secured to the under side of said bracket member 12 by the screws 15 is a second bracket member 16, which is preferably bifurcated at its outer end as shown at 17. Secured at its upper end to the outer eX- tremity of the bracket member 12 is a vertical rod 18 which extends downwardly between the ends of the bifurcated bracket 16, and has at its lower end the enlargement 19; a hollow member 20, preferably rectangular in cross section, is arranged to slide upon the vertical rod 18, between the ends 17 of the bifurcated bracket 16, the hollow member 20 being adapted to fall of its own weight. At appropriate intervals 21 on said hollow member 20 are formed transverse grooves or notches on opposite sides thereon, four series of said notches being shown on Fig. 2.

A clasp member, or clip 22 shown especially in Figs. 4 and 5, is adapted to be spread, as shown partly in the dotted lines in Fig; 4, and positioned upon said hollow member 20, the free ends of said clip engaging with the transverse grooves in said member 20. When thus placed upon the hollow member, the circular portion 23 of said clip is put under a stress, Which, as soon as the ends are released from the hollow member 20, will cause the same to spring together, thereby clasping any object which may be interposed between them. As shown especially in Fig. 2, the string 6 passes downwardly between the Wire portions of said clip thus spread apart, the string, so long as the clip remains seated on the hollow member 20, moving freely therethrough. As appears in Fig. 5, if the clip be displaced from the sliding member 20, it will instantly clasp itself upon the string, and remain secured thereto until released by the operator; the device is arranged to displace the lowest clip each time, whereupon the member 20 will slide downwardly upon the rod 18 until the next lowest clip engages with the end 17 of the bifurcated bracket 16, whereby the sliding member 20 will be retained against further movement until said lowest clip isdisplaced; thereupon the sliding member will again fall until the next lowest clip engages against the upper faces of the ends of said bifurcated brackets 16. The string moving downwardly receives the clips as they are displaced from the sliding member 20, and when the motion is stopped, the clips can clearly be seen positioned upon the string at varying intervals. The mechanism for displacing these clips will now be described.

Mounted upon the bracket 12 is the pair of magnets 24, the cores 25 being adapted to attract the armature 26 carried upon the up per end of a lever 27 pivoted at 28 adjacent the outer end of the bracket 12. Near the opposite end of said lever 27 is'secured a spring 29, which latter, at its other end, is secured in the hook 30, mounted in the bracket 16. Also mounted in the bracket 16 is the threaded stop screw 31, which is adaptedto determine the retraction of the lever 27. At its lower end, the lever 27 is bifurcated as shown at32, the ends being supported sufiiciently to permit them to embrace the hollow member 20, and engage the inner ends of the clip or clasp member 22, and push the latter outwardly from its seat, and thereby disengage thejsame. the lower end of the post 1 is a pendulum 33, suspended conveniently from the post, and 1t may be constructed to beat seconds or whatever interval the operator may desire. Abattery 34 is conveniently arranged, and the pendulum is placed in circuit in series with a key 35; when the key is closed the pendulum completes the circuit at each swing thereof, thereby energizing the mag- Adjacent nets 24 and thus attracting the armature 26. This magnetic action is well understood and need not be described further. When the armature 26 is attracted by the magnets 24, the lower ends 32 of the lever 27 will push the clip 22 off from the sliding member 20, the clip instantly, by its own contraction, attaching itself to the string, and the hollow member 20 i sliding downwardly upon the rod 18 will bring the neXt clip into position for engagement with the lever 27 when the circuit is again closed by the swing of the pendulum. After the last clip has been displaced, the hollow member 20 moves downwardly upon the rod 18 until it contacts with the enlargement 19 at the lower end thereof; the string may be stopped at any time, and the hollow member returned to its upper position, and the clip members detached from the string and replaced upon the said hollow member, whereupon the string may be operated anew with different weights or in different conditions, as the operator may desire.

From the foregoing description it is seen that the clip members may be made to clasp the moving string whenever the operator de-' sires, and that succeeding clips may be set free to attach themselvesto the string at known intervals of time. The audience or class may observe the clip, which maintains its position upon ,the string until released by the operator, and the increasing distance between clips attaching themselves to the string at identical intervals of time is thus very impressively brought to their attention. The same parts may be used over and over again, it being necessary after each operation only to separate the clip sufliciently to replace it in the transverse grooves on the hollow member.

The various parts 'of the device for accomplishing the purposes herein set forth, may

be variously constructed, and I do not therefore desire to limit myself to the specific construction shown.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Mechanism for measuring and indicating velocity comprising a moving member, a second member positioned adjacent said moving member, a spring member mounted upon said second member and adapted when released to attach itself to said movingmember, means for positioning said spring member, and means for releasing thesame.

2. Mechanism for measuring and indicating velocity comprising a moving member, a spring member positioned adj acent thereto, means for ejecting said spring member from its position whereupon it' engages said moving member and is carried thereby.

' 3. Mechanism for measuring and indicating velocity comprising a moving member, a plurality of. spring members positioned adjacent thereto, means for ejecting said spring members from their position at known intervals of time, whereupon said spring members engage said moving member and are carried thereby.

4. Mechanism for measuring and indicating velocity comprising a moving member, a movable member positioned adjacent thereto, spring clasp members positioned on said second member, means for ejecting said clasp members from their position on said second member, said clasp members thereupon engaging said moving member and being carried thereby.

5. Mechanism for measuring and indicating velocity comprising a moving member, a vertically slidable member adjacent thereto, a plurality of spring clasp members positioned on said slidable member, means for disenga ing said clasp members singly from said sli ab e member, whereupon said clasp members attach themselves to said moving member and are carried thereby.

6. Mechanism for measuring and indicating velocity comprising a moving member, a slidable member adjacent thereto, a plural ity of spring members positioned upon said slidable member, the latter being held against movement by the lowest of said spring members, means for releasing the lowest of said spring members from said slidable member, whereupon said spring member attaches itself to said moving member, and said slidable member is free to move until the lowest spring member thereon is brought to the position formerly occupied by the spring member last disengaged.

7. Mechanism for measuring and indicating velocity comprising a moving member, a

bracket adjacent thereto, a rod depending from said bracket, a hollow member slidable upon said rod, spring members adapted to be positioned at intervals upon said slidable member by contraction, means for releasing said spring members singly from said slidable member, whereupon said spring members secure themselves upon said moving member, and said slidable member moves to bring the adjacent spring member into the position 00- cupied by the preceding spring member when the latter was released therefrom.

8. Mechanism for measuring and indicating velocity comprising a moving member, a bracket adjacent thereto, a bifurcated bracket secured thereon, a rod depending from said first mentioned bracket between the arms of said second bracket, a slidable member upon said rod', a plurality of spring members adapted to be positioned upon sai slidable member, the lowermost one of said spring members bein adapted to engage said arms to position said slidable member, and means for ejecting the lowermost spring member, whereupon the latter engages sai moving member and is carried thereby, and said slidable member moves to a point where the next adjacent spring member contacts with said arms, whereby said spring member is properly positioned to be freed from said slidable member by said disengaging means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. BOYD.

YVitnes ses A. RAGER, HORACE S. I{ERR. 

